


Just Lucky, I Guess

by Kangofu_CB



Series: Just [5]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M, NSFW, Porn with Feelings, Wedding Planning, Weddings, academic parties, gratuitous wedding fic, long lost family drama, somewhere in all this emotional bullshit there's sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 20:56:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11298693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kangofu_CB/pseuds/Kangofu_CB
Summary: Final installment of the 'Just' 'verse.  Wufei and Duo are getting married!  There's a little bit of drama, some smut, and overall a good time is had by all.





	Just Lucky, I Guess

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to Helmistress for sending me a 390 Prompt that started this whole thing "Damn. You clean up good."
> 
> The smutty part is dedicated to Cosmic-Era, who made a small fic request and I did my best to fulfill it! I hope it lives up to your expectations ma'am!

Duo was starting to understand why Trowa and Quatre had eloped.  

 

After months of planning, including more than their fair share of cultural navigation, since Wufei’s idea of weddings had almost nothing in common with Duo’s, he was damn well ready to throw Wufei in the trunk and drive to Vegas.

 

Early on, Duo had made the mistake of approaching Quatre with vague ideas and a complete lack of knowledge and the result was a bit like being caught in a hurricane.  The blonde man was a whirlwind, with a plethora of must-haves, must-dos, and you-simply-can’ts, and the end result was, well.  

 

Well, it was.

 

Duo wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it, now that it was almost upon him.

 

He was happy, of course, to be  _ getting _ married.  But the event itself was, well, a little more ostentatious than he’d anticipated.  When Duo told Quatre he wanted Wufei to have a dream wedding, Quatre had taken it to heart, using his connections and financial might to secure any number of outrageous favors, offering future opportunities at WEI events in exchange for discounted rates and free upgrades.  Honestly, it was a little much.  Actually, it was a lot much.

 

It was also, as Trowa had pointed out with a smug smile on his face, too late for that nonsense, because the wedding was in just over a week.

 

And his current circumstances didn’t really lend themselves to deep introspection.  

 

He was at the university, in a classroom, surrounded by Wufei’s colleagues and waiting for Sally to convince the man to come with her to said classroom.  Duo knew she had her work cut out for her, because it was around the time Wufei typically left, but she was his department head and she’d told him to wait.  He was probably grumpy about it, Duo figured, smiling to himself.  

 

“If only they hadn’t committed the unforgivable act of  _ burning _ Byron’s memoirs, we might have the proof of genius that would substantiate my theory-”

 

“Zechs.  The man slept with his sister.”

 

“ _ Allegedly _ slept with his sister.  There’s no proof he did any such thing.”

 

“He was a melodramatic nutjob with narcissistic tendencies.”

 

“You take that back!”

 

Duo skirted the edges of  _ that _ discussion, having once been unwillingly caught up in a similar debate involving Zechs Merquise, who taught English Literature and was some kind of renowned expert on Lord Byron, and one of the other Literature professors, which had taken 45 minutes of his life he’d never get back and left him with far more knowledge than he needed about a long-dead poet’s sexual proclivities.  

 

The entire School of Arts faculty had been invited to this little surprise soiree, which was ostensibly to celebrate Wufei’s impending marriage but which Duo felt was more an excuse to mingle and drink with other professors in a controlled setting, and he only recognized a handful of the probably fifty people attending.  He was out of his element and feeling insecure about it, if he were being perfectly honest.  

 

He’d gone to college, sure, and gotten a degree and he worked in a highly specialized field, but that wasn’t quite the same as being on par with a room full of academics with more degrees than he could shake a stick at, and with whom he had nothing in common and no common ground to speak of.  

 

He typically amused himself by arm-chair diagnosing the people around him and preemptively deciding which innocent bystanders he was going to coopt in the event of an emergency, for chrissake, he was hardly polite company.

 

And he  _ never _ quite got the dress code right.  This being a prime example, since he’d shown up in jeans and button down shirt, to everyone else’s slacks, skirts, and ties.  He should have realized, having spent copious amounts of time admiring Wufei’s ass in the tailored slacks he preferred for work, but it hadn’t even occurred to him he should dress up.  Hell, a button down shirt  _ was _ dressed up, according to most of his friends.  He should have asked Quatre what to wear.

 

But then, he’d asked Quatre how to have a wedding, and look how that had turned out.  Or would be turning out, in eight short days.

 

Well.  That was an alarming thought.  Eight days until his wedding.

 

Luckily he was saved from ensuing panic by the Dean of the School of Arts, Lovisa Une, making significant eye contact with him and motioning him over.  He maneuvered his way there, narrowly avoiding a sloshing glass of wine, and possibly getting groped, though it could have been accidental, before managing to position himself at her elbow.  She was a doctor of something-or-other if he remembered correctly, but he didn’t trust himself, so he just smiled at her in greeting.

 

“Duo,” she greeted him warmly, reaching to give him a perfunctory hug.  Oh good, they were apparently on first name basis.  “Sally just texted me that they’re on their way over, though I get the impression Wufei is somewhat disgruntled about it.”

 

Duo snorted.  “Yeah, I’ll bet.  What did Sally tell him he was gonna be doing?”

 

Une smirked, “Meeting with a parent.”

 

He almost choked on his drink.  “That’s cruel and unusual and I approve.”

 

“It was Sally’s idea.”

 

Of course it had been.  The two of them had some sort of weird rivalry Duo didn’t really understand, but he could appreciate the result.  They had been entrenched in a long-running prank war that was the topic of serious betting pools amongst the faculty and which Duo had been  _ delighted _ to partake in once he’d found out about their existence, much to Wufei’s embarrassment.  The most recent episode, if he was still being kept up to date properly, had involved turning the bottom drawer of Sally’s filing cabinet into a fish tank.  Though it had backfired spectacularly because she’d transplanted the fish to an actual tank, named them WuWu and FeiFei, and copied the Dean on a glowing email of thanks to Wufei for such a thoughtful gift in appreciation for her assistance with the ‘angry parent’ incident.

 

Duo’d overheard Wufei talking to himself about justice, and something about water-filled solo cups, before he had quietly excused himself from the room so as not to be considered an accessory.

 

Speaking of Wufei, Duo turned his head as the door to the classroom opened and Sally strolled in, an annoyed looking Wufei trailing behind her.  His face changed from irritation, to suspicion, to surprise as Duo watched him, feeling bemused.  He’d tried to warn Sally that Wufei might not appreciate the effort, but she’d waved him off, cackling.  He suspected that half of her enjoyment of the party was in annoying Wufei with forced socialization.

 

As his face changed from surprise to surprised irritation, Duo snickered, gaining sudden insight into Sally’s thought process.  Taking pity on him, however, he snagged a glass of wine from a table full of them, arranged very neatly into ‘white’ and ‘red’.  It was the most organized bit of the whole thing, and the drinking had started long before Wufei’s arrival.  It had probably started before Duo’s arrival.

 

He sidled up to Wufei, glass in the lead, and felt the other man’s arm come up around his waist as he accepted the offering.  “Hi.” Duo murmured, giving him small smile.

 

“You knew about this didn’t you?”  Wufei groused, sipping from the glass.

 

Duo chuckled.  “Of course I knew about it.  I’m here, aren’t I?”

 

“And you didn’t warn me?”

 

“Nope.”

 

The door had been propped open after Wufei’s arrival, more to circulate the air than anything, and out of the corner of his eye Duo saw a last minute straggler slip into the room, a woman with long dark hair, though he didn’t get a look at her face.  She didn’t look familiar to him anyway, and he turned back to Wufei, putting it out of his mind.  He didn’t know a lot of people here anyway.

 

“Let’s just stay an hour and we can go,” he bargained, “seeing as how this is a party for you, since it’s your last day before the Big Day.”

 

Wufei rolled his eyes.  They had kept their guest list what Quatre had termed ‘intimate’ and as a result most of Wufei’s coworkers hadn’t made the cut.  Nearly all of Duo’s had, but as he had less coworkers in general, it worked out.  Neither of them had any family on the list, though Wufei mentioned sending his family an announcement after the ceremony.

 

Duo thought it was probably a very politely disguised middle finger, but hell, it wasn’t his family.  Ex-family.  However Wufei thought of them.

 

“Fine.  One hour.”  Wufei paused, giving Duo a sly look.  “And you owe me a favor.”

 

“I owe you a favor for staying at your own party?  I don’t think so, pal.”  But Duo grinned at him, eyes raking down his body appreciatively.  He’d probably be willing to negotiate the point.  Checking his watch, he noted the time.  “Well, let’s get to mingling then, can’t waste the next 59 minutes.”

 

Wufei groaned, but followed Duo willingly enough, hand tucked into his bent elbow.  They made the rounds, Wufei enduring tipsy congratulations and drunken insinuations with fairly good humor, though Duo had to drag him away from a heated argument with Zechs again, after the tall blonde congratulated him for ‘following in the fine example of Byron and bucking heteronormative traditions’.  Even Duo had wanted to punch him for that one.

 

Going to jail for assault wasn’t on his bucket list though, and Heero didn't work on this side of town.

 

Eventually they were edging their way towards the door, Une winking at him as she distracted Sally, when they nearly mowed down a young woman who suddenly appeared in their path.

 

“We’re so sorry,” Duo started, disentangling himself from Wufei, who'd stopped short in front of him, “We weren’t watching at all-” he glanced up from the wine glass he’d barely managed to keep from dumping all over himself, taking in the determined face of a startlingly beautiful young Chinese woman, and Wufei, who looked like he was seeing a ghost.  He made a rapid assessment of the situation, dread settling into the pit of his stomach.

 

Wufei opened his mouth to speak, but Duo cut him off.  “Let’s go to your office.  It’s… quieter.”  He’d almost said ‘private’ but better not to draw any attention to the confrontation he could sense was coming.  “You too, whoever you are.”  He jerked his head at the girl, herding all of them out the door into the quiet hallway, leading the way to Wufei’s office at a brisk pace, Wufei’s hand clenched in his.

 

He had a sinking feeling about the whole thing.

 

*

 

Wufei was… numb.  

 

In shock, actually, was probably more accurate.

 

He’d been leaving with Duo, pleasantly buzzed, in a surprisingly good mood despite Merquise’s idiotic commentary when he had nearly literally run into someone he thought to never see again.   

 

Now they were all gathered in his office, awkward silence hanging in the air, staring at each other.  Duo was watching Wufei with concern, thumb stroking across the top of his hand.  The sound of the clock ticking was obnoxiously loud.

 

Duo finally seemed to have enough of the situation.  “Alright, someone wanna fill me in here?”

 

Wufei cleared his throat, opening his mouth to explain, what, exactly, he wasn’t entirely sure, when their guest spoke first.

 

“I apologize.  I… did not intend to crash a party.  I came to speak with you, Wufei, and when I saw you in the hallway I simply followed to your destination.  When I realized you were leaving, I moved to stop you and…” she trailed off, helplessly.

 

Duo snorted.  “And ran slap into us, yeah I got that part.  I’m not trying to be rude, but who are you, exactly?”

 

Wufei dragged himself out of his stupor.  This was his responsibility, the explaining and the handling of it, and Duo shouldn’t have to manage it without him.  “Duo, this is Xiulan.  She is- was- Meilan’s younger sister.”

 

There was a wealth of understanding on Duo’s face, and a bit of pained uncertainty under that.  Wufei squeezed his hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.  Duo held his free hand out to Xiulan, who grasped it uncertainly.  “I’m Duo.  It’s nice to meet you.”

 

Wufei very carefully didn’t let the disbelieving noise trying to escape his throat be heard.  ‘Nice’ was probably not what any of them felt about this impromptu meeting.

 

“Does Master Long know you’re here?”

 

Xiulan glanced away, looking slightly abashed.

 

Ah.  So it was like that, then.  He sighed.

 

She surprised him though, squaring her shoulders, the look on her face a painful reminder of his late wife.  They hadn’t been in love, or even in like, really, but they had developed a kind of… grudging respect for one another, near the end, and he could see that Xiulan had inherited some of that stubborn pride he always associated with Meilan.  

 

“Master Long doesn’t dictate whom I may speak to,” she huffed.  Wufei felt a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.  More like Meilan than he would have expected, thinking back on what she’d been like as a child.  There was a small but significant age difference between them, enough that he tended to think of her more as a child than a young woman.

 

“Xiulan,” he said, his voice low, almost gentle, “why have you come?”

 

She blew out a breath, and he realized she was nearly as nervous and he was, though Duo seemed content to sit back and let the situation play itself out, now that there wasn’t any risk of being overheard in a crowded room.  There was a tightness around his eyes that told Wufei they’d probably need to talk later, and he felt his frustration bubbling up again.  Things had been going so well.

 

“I… I came to thank you.”  She paused at Wufei’s obvious surprise.  “For refusing the elders. I thought, at first, that it was… something about me.  I knew that you and my sister had… difficulties,” at this she ducked her head, embarrassed.  Obviously Meilan had spoken to her more than Wufei had realized. “But I was prepared to do my duty, and when you refused, well, I was offended.”

 

“I’m sorry that I-”

 

“Oh no,” she smiled, “don’t apologize.  You’ve done me a great favor, honestly, I just didn’t realize it at the time.  And once I saw the newspaper announcement, obviously, I realized it had nothing to do with  _ me _ .”  Her eyes flicked to Duo in amusement, who cleared his throat awkwardly, blush rising on his cheeks.  

 

Wufei opened his mouth to respond, then shut it with a snap.  He turned to Duo.  “Newspaper announcement?”

 

Duo looked bewildered for a moment before groaning, scrubbing a hand down his face.

 

“Quatre!” both he and Wufei said, in unison, frustration evident.

 

She laughed, lightly.  “Well, as I said, I saw the announcement about your upcoming nuptials, and so I wanted to come in person and say thank you, and offer you my congratulations.  And blessing, such as it is.  Though I’d intended to visit you in your office, privately, not at a party.”

 

Wufei gaped at her, something strange tugging in his chest, a loosening of a knot he hadn’t even been aware of.  She was giving him something precious, and he hadn’t even known he wanted,  _ needed _ it.

 

Duo looked between the two of them, amused, face softening as he took in Wufei’s expression.  He leaned forward and took Xiulan’s hands into his and looked into her eyes, smiling warmly.  “Thank you.”  The words were heartfelt, and sincere, and all the things Wufei should be saying, if only he could get his brain back in working order.

 

Xiulan returned the smile with one of her own, squeezing his hands.  “You’re quite welcome.  And it’s a lovely surprise to meet you as well.”

 

“Ah, well, I’m just the consolation prize,”  Duo drawled, eyes shining with mirth.  “He clearly could have done  _ much _ better.”

 

She grinned, crookedly, the mischievous child Wufei had known years ago sparkling in her expression. She glanced over at him. “Oh, I like him very much!  How did you manage to snag him?”

 

Duo laughed out loud, letting go of her hands. 

 

Wufei shrugged, a wry smile on his face. “Just lucky, I guess.”

 

“Does he have a brother?”

 

Duo was still chortling, eyeing the two of them speculatively as they grinned at each other. “Xiulan,” he began, drawing her attention, “would you like to come to the wedding?”

 

*

 

“Duo, you need to calm down.”

 

Quatre was looking at him with concern as Duo prowled restlessly around the hotel room. “Shyeah, tell me about it.”

 

Frankly, he wished Trowa was here.  The tall man had been his friend since forever, and he’d have been able to straighten Duo out in the time it would take him to say ‘chill the fuck out, everything is going to be fine’.  Quatre, on the other hand, seemed to be at a loss, and Trowa was running late from whatever crucial errand he’d needed to run before meeting Duo at the hotel to get ready.  

 

A glass of amber liquid appeared in front of him.  “Here.”

 

Duo accepted the drink, raising it to his lips, pausing before he took a sip.  “I mean, not that I care, but what is it?”

 

“A magic potion to help you relax.  What do you think it is? What are you do anxious about, anyway?  Is it Wufei?”

 

Duo shook his head, tilting the glass back and sipping at the liquor.  Whisky, if he wasn’t mistaken.  Expensive whisky, he was willing to bet.  He turned to Quatre, eyebrows raised, glass in hand.

  
The blonde held up dark blue box with gold lettering.  Duo wheezed.  “Holy shit, man, you bought me Johnnie Walker Blue?”

 

Quatre chuckled.  “I bought  _ us _ Johnnie Walker, Duo.  Since you both refused any kind of a bachelor party, I thought we could at least enjoy a good drink on your wedding day.  And don’t think you’ve distracted me from talking about whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

 

“Hell, Q, you’ve distracted  _ me _ from what’s bothering me.”

 

The blonde just stared at him expectantly.  

 

Duo sighed.  “Isn’t it normal to be nervous?” he whined, stalling.

 

Quatre shrugged, still waiting.

 

“This is just… really fancy… and formal… and swanky.”

 

“Duo.  That’s what you said you  _ wanted _ .”

 

“Well yeah!  It was.  It is!  I just…” he paused, taking another gulp of his drink.

 

“Don’t swill expensive liquor Duo.”

 

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about!”

 

Quatre looked, if possible, even more confused.  Duo blew out an exasperated breath.  “I’m afraid I’m going to embarrass myself, and by extension, Wufei.  This is all,”  he gestured vaguely at the spacious hotel suite, at the expanse of park he could see outside the window in the direction of the venue, “out of my league.  Hell, man, Wufei is out of my league.”

 

“Duo.”  The other man sounded completely exasperated, and he glanced around as though Trowa were going to materialize out of the wainscotting to smack some sense into Duo.  “You’re being an idiot.  Wufei loves you, this was the wedding you planned together-”

 

“With you,”  Duo muttered, mutinously.

 

“Alright, this is the wedding I helped you and Wufei plan together, and you both agreed on all of it, and Wufei obviously doesn’t think you’re out of his league, so, frankly, you need to get over it.  It’s sort of late in the game to be feeling unworthy, unless you’re planning to call the whole thing off.”

 

Duo finished off the last of the alcohol and held the glass out, motioning for a refill.  Quatre took it from him instead.  “Hey!”

 

“Get dressed.  Trowa will be here soon, and we can all have a drink together before the ceremony.  The photographer is coming up anyway to take some pictures.”  Quatre was already spiffed up, his jacket hanging near the door, pants, shirt, and bow tie already on.  Duo had asked Trowa to be his best man, obviously, but Wufei had surprised all of them by asking Heero to stand up with him.  

 

Duo groaned, shaking his head.  “What in the hell are they taking pictures of?”

 

“They’re ‘getting ready’ photos.  It’s a thing.”  Quatre held out the garment bag containing his tux.

 

He took it with a sigh, hanging it on the closet door and unzipping it.  Smart black wool and crisp white cotton stared back at him. Dragging the casual clothes he'd been wearing off, he tugged the tailored evening wear on, surprised by how well it fit. He’d just finished putting his shoes on when there was a knock at the door.  Draping the untied bowtie over his neck, he meandered to the entrance of the suite, expecting Trowa.

 

Instead, unexpectedly, Wufei was standing there, looking fucking  _ gorgeous _ in his tux, bathed in the light of the entryway.  Duo swallowed thickly, his mouth dry, all the wind sucked out of his lungs.  Dimly, he heard the snap of a camera, but it didn’t really register.  He took a few steps forward, stopping just in front of the other man, reaching out to stroke the lapels of his jacket.

 

He cleared his throat, his other hand coming up to rest at Wufei’s waist.  “Damn,” his voice was rough with emotion, “you clean up good.”

 

The brilliant smile he got in return was worth all of the anxiety he'd been having about the whole stupid thing.

 

“Need a hand?”  Wufei gestured loosely towards Duo’s chest.

 

“Huh?”  he glanced down.

 

“With your tie.”

 

Duo grimaced.  “Sure. Don’t think I could figure it out on my own, to be honest.”

 

Hands that were normally sure and steady, trembled as they reached for Duo’s bowtie, deftly knotting it into place.  “There.”

 

Duo took another step forward, bringing them into closer proximity, and tilted his head forward, resting his forehead against Wufei’s, as he closed his eyes, just breathing in the other man’s presence.  Both his arms were sliding around Wufei’s waist, and the other man's arms wrapped around his shoulders, fingers stroking his neck.  He felt the tension in his body unwinding, melting away, as the minutes passed.

 

He didn’t know how long they stood, basking in each other, before Trowa finally bustled in from wherever he and Quatre had snuck off to.  “Alright you two, save it for the wedding night.”  He clapped them both on the back, grinning, and conjured glasses of whisky seemingly out of midair to hand to them.  Quatre was just behind him, with Heero trailing after, looking smug.  He already had a glass in his hand, swirling it thoughtfully, as they traversed into the sitting room area of the suite.  

 

The photographer followed them, but Duo had to give him credit for unobtrusiveness, they almost didn’t notice him as he caught shots of the five of them in the final moments before they left for the ceremony.  

 

Quatre checked his watch.  “Alright, I think we have time for this one drink before we have to leave.  Duo, where’s your jacket?”

 

“Right here, mother,”  he held the garment up, rolling his eyes, before handing his glass to Wufei so he could slide his arms into the sleeves.  As he buttoned the jacket, he felt Wufei’s heated gaze on him, dark eyes following his movement.  

 

_ Hoo, boy. _  They could just skip the whole ceremony and just get straight to the wedding night, couldn't they?

 

Luckily, Quatre chose that moment to jump in, pinning something spiky and green on Duo’s jacket, before moving over to give Wufei the same treatment.  Duo looked down, trying to figure out what it was upside-down.  

 

It looked like… a stumpy cactus of some kind.  And-

 

“Quatre.  Is that a small dinosaur on my plant thing?”

 

The blonde man looked delighted with himself.  “It’s called a boutonniere, and yes, there’s a small dinosaur mixed in there with the succulents.  It seemed fitting.”  He held up two more, presumably for Heero and Trowa, though theirs didn’t have the creature accoutrements. 

 

Duo drained the last of his drink, a pleasant warmth spreading through his body.  He reached for Wufei’s hand, smiling.  “Alright, let’s do this.”

 

*

 

Wufei had harbored some doubts about the chosen venue when Quatre had first suggested it, but Duo’s enthusiastic response had led him to keep them to himself.  What did he know about Western weddings, anyway?  

 

Now that he was standing in the reception, looking over the tasteful decorations, he was impressed.  And amused.  Twenty feet over his head was the fossilized skeleton of a human, mid-flight, seemingly tossed from a nearby fossilized mammoth.  The Paleontology hall of the natural science museum wouldn’t have been something he’d have thought of on his own, but Quatre was on the board of trustees and Duo had been quick to embrace the idea, pointing out Wufei’s history background (not that his degree was in prehistoric anything, but Duo had simply ignored that part) and, declaring the idea ‘inspired’, plunged head first into planning.  Wufei had to admit that it was certainly an unusual talking point, and all of their guests seemed excited about it.  

 

The actual ceremony had taken place in the gem hall, a stipulation Wufei had made early on, and it had gone off without a hitch, being both emotionally satisfying and blessedly brief.  Wufei fingered the gold band on his left hand, the same one Duo had proposed with, and felt more content than he could ever remember being.

 

Or he would be, if Duo hadn’t disappeared off somewhere.  Wufei glanced around trying to catch sight of the braided man.  He hadn’t paid much attention to the schedule of events, but he was relatively sure there were still a few more formalities to observe.  There’d been no dancing yet, for one thing, though they’d had dinner and Trowa and Heero had both given traditional speeches.

 

Memorable speeches, as it turned out, Trowa’s full of terrible puns -

 

“It’s been an amazing day, ladies and gentlemen, even the cake is in tiers.”

 

-and Heero’s full of equally terrible jokes, including one in which he’d instructed Duo and Wufei to look at each other, and then informed them they were looking at the person statistically most likely to murder them.

 

Most people had laughed.

 

That was probably a success, all things considered. 

 

A hand slipped into his, and he turned to find the familiar combination of violet eyes and smiling lips.  Wufei leaned in for a kiss that was, perhaps, a shade too long for polite company, but it was their wedding, after all, and he felt entitled to as many languid, romantic kisses as he desired.

 

Duo was slightly breathless when they parted, but still grinning.  “So,” he began, the look on his face alerting Wufei to the fact that he probably wasn’t going to like what came next, “it’s First Dance time.”

 

“I thought we weren’t doing that,”  Wufei groused, rolling his eyes.

 

“Yeah, well, Quatre pointed out we danced at his wedding, we couldn’t very well skip our own.”

 

“That’s your fault.”

 

Duo shrugged, unrepentant, tugging him towards the open space in the middle of the exhibit that had been designated the dance floor.  There was artful lighting, and the DJ was set up unobtrusively in the corner.  Duo stopped near the center, Wufei coming to a halt in front of him, his hand automatically finding a trim waist, both of them paused and waiting.

 

“What are we doing?”  Wufei whispered, hoping to go unnoticed by the guests.

 

Duo chuckled as the music started.  “Just a stand and sway,  I didn’t really plan for this.  It was kinda last minute.”

 

Wufei nodded.  Stand and sway.  He could do that.  Even if there were over one hundred pairs of eyes staring at him and cameras clicking and-

 

Probably better not to think of all that.  He cleared his throat.  “This isn’t the same song we danced to at Quatre’s wedding,” he observed.

 

“Ah, no, this one is different.  It’s more romance, less gritty relationship issues.”

 

Wufei hummed thoughtfully in response.  “Why does he say he’ll still be loving someone at 17, and then talk about falling in love at 23?  That doesn’t make any sense.”  He frowned.

 

Duo laughed out loud.  “He said 70, not 17.”

 

Ah.  That made more sense.

 

They swayed in silence another minute or two, as the song wound to a close, Duo looking at him fondly, humming along. When the last few notes faded into silence, the guests, who had surrounded the dance floor at this point, erupted into applause.  Duo made a slightly sarcastic bow, dragging Wufei off the floor behind him, as the DJ switched to something that sounded a lot like club music.

 

Wufei looked at Duo in confusion, the braided man regarding him sheepishly.  “It’s a party right?”  Duo wheedled, clearly trying to convince Wufei of his logic.

 

One eyebrow raised, he nodded to concede the point.

 

“So I picked a really good DJ.  It was like… the only thing I really, really cared about.”

 

Wufei eyed him suspiciously.  “You’re not going to make me… dance… to this, are you?”

 

Duo grinned, sensing he’d already gotten his way.  “Not if you don’t want to!”

 

Snorting in response, Wufei shook his head, “I seriously doubt I’ll be interested.”

 

Darting in for a firm kiss, and a small grope, Duo made a beeline for the dancefloor, while Wufei parked himself at a nearby high top, procuring a drink for himself and Duo, along with a couple of glasses of water, to watch.  

 

Wufei wasn’t sure if you were supposed to  _ learn _ things about your new spouse at your wedding, but he was surprised to find that not only was Duo an enthusiastic dancer, he was actually really, really good.  Granted, there hadn’t been much opportunity for it to come up before, since Wufei didn’t dance  _ at all _ , but still.  Duo could have mentioned it.

 

He was currently on the dancefloor, teaching someone - Hilde? Maybe - how to moonwalk.  Or trying to.  She had an out of control elbow that made her look like a chicken, but the footwork seemed ok.  

 

Xiulan joined him at the table, a glass of wine in hand, smiling.  “You don’t dance?”  Even Wufei could admit she looked resplendent in a purple gown, hair pinned up in some sort of complicated knot.

 

“Do I seem like the type?” he asked, dryly, sipping from his own glass.

 

“Well, not Michael Jackson, perhaps, but you don’t dance at all?”

 

Wufei laughed.  “I can stand and sway, as you saw.  And Duo taught me a waltz once.  At another wedding.”  

 

She fell silent, watching Duo laughingly trying to help Hilde keep her arm at her side, placing a fedora he’d gotten from god-knows-where on her head.  The music, blessedly, ended, fading into something that sounded slower, and involved a lot more piano keys.  Xiulan put her drink down and held her hand out, palm up.  “Come show me your fancy moves.  There’s probably some sort of tradition involved in dancing with the groom.”

 

Wufei choked a little, before acquiescing with a sigh.  If she were as much  like Meilan as he suspected, it would  be easier to just get it over with.  “There’s more than one groom, you know.”

 

“Yes, but he’s more intimidating on the dance floor.”

 

*

 

Duo deserted the floor, making a beeline for the table Wufei had been holding down successfully all night to gulp down the glass of water waiting for him there, watching as Wufei and Xiulan stumbled through the first few steps of the simple dance he’d done with Duo at Quatre’s wedding with a smile on his face.  Trowa appeared at his elbow.

 

“They make a handsome couple.”

 

Trowa was just antagonizing him now.  He rolled his eyes.  “Yes, they do.”

 

There was a beat of silence as they watched the two of them struggle.  “You should cut in. You've danced with basically everyone else.”

 

Duo sat his glass down on the table, eyeing the fumbling couple speculatively.  “You're right, I should.”

 

*

 

Wufei looked up in relief as he felt a tap on his shoulder.  “Can I cut in?”  

 

Familiar violet eyes twinkled at him.  He stepped back, gratefully.  “By all means,” he said, gesturing.

 

Only to have Duo whisk his partner off into a proper three count dance, winking at him as he passed.  Wufei looked up at Trowa in surprise.

 

“That’s not exactly what I meant,” the tall brunette said, grimacing.  He held his hands out, in invitation.  “Shall we?”

 

Wufei and Duo did have opportunity to dance with each other during the course of the rest of the evening, several times, having picked up on Trowa’s hint, including the final dance - which was was little more than a slow sway propped up against one another on the dance floor exchanging a multitude of equally slow, sweet kisses. 

 

Wufei was sure friends on both sides of the aisle were going to be teasing them about it for a long time to come. 

 

Then they'd been ceremoniously packed into a waiting car with a packaged up meal, cake, and not a few lewd comments, and sent off to the same hotel suite they'd started out in. 

 

Duo was grinning and euphoric, sleeves rolled up, bow tie dangling around his neck, and Wufei was tired but content and relaxed, both of them just a bit tipsy, and overall he felt it was an excellent start to their life together. 

 

Wufei’s relaxed feelings lasted until they fumbled their way into the hotel room, laughing, trying to be quiet in the hallway, and then he was struck by a bout of nerves as Duo hung the ‘do not disturb’ door hanger and locked the door.

 

It must have shown on his face, because Duo’s grin as he turned around melted into something warmer and softer, and he reached out pulling Wufei close, kissing him softly, more tender than amorous.  He leaned back, eyes trailing over Wufei’s face inquisitively.  “Tired?”

 

Wufei exhaled, feeling simultaneously relieved and disappointed.  “Yes, but not quite ready to sleep.  And I need a shower.”  He felt grimy under his clothes, sweaty and muscle fatigued, mostly from the tense posture he adopted when he felt like he was on display.

 

Duo grinned sheepishly.  “Me too.  Have you seen the swanky bathroom that comes with this fancy situation?”  He gestured offhandedly at the closed door that presumably led to the bathroom.

 

Wufei took a step back, releasing his husband - and there was a moment of processing while his brain turned that phrase over and over - and entwined their fingers.  “Show me this ornate bathroom.”  He allowed himself to be tugged through the doorway, dutifully inspecting the marble countertops, deep set, jetted tub, and shower with multiple showerheads and at least half a dozen spray settings. 

 

It was, indeed, a swanky set up.  He glanced over at Duo.  “Bath or shower?”

 

Chewing on his lower lip, Duo looked adorably unsure of himself, hands in his pockets, leaning back against the sink counter.  “Honestly?  I kinda wanna do the tub thing.  I know that’s kind of, like, a girl thing?  But I’m probably gonna be sore tomorrow, and it has jets, and… yeah…”

 

Wufei snorted.  “I didn’t realize women had cornered the market on jetted tubs.  And besides, I think Quatre left that bottle of whisky here, and I think if we take a glass of that with us, it automatically imparts Very Serious Masculinity to the situation.”

 

Duo rolled his eyes, laughing, as he moved towards a tub large enough to accommodate two or even three people comfortably, adjusting the temperature, while Wufei went to procure the drinks.  He grabbed the cake while he was at it, stuffing the food the caterer had packed up for them in the mini fridge.

 

Sinking down into hot water, whisky in hand, and a plate of cake on the edge of the tub, he basically decided he’d found paradise.  When Duo climbed into the other side and turned on the jets, he was sure of it.  They climbed out a long time later, after the cake and whisky were gone, the water turned cool and both of them pruney and exhausted and content.

 

As they fell into bed, limbs entwined, tucked up close, drifting towards sleep, Wufei felt a vague sense of guilt.  “Sorry,” he murmured, tucking his head up on Duo’s shoulder.

 

“For what?”

 

“I’m not sure.  It’s our wedding night,” he yawned, unwillingly.  “Feel like I should be doing something other than sleeping.”

 

His head was jostled by Duo’s soft laughter.  “Like we don’t have years and years to do something other than sleep.”

 

Wufei made what he hoped was a positive noise, barely conscious.  He had the vague impression of lips brushing against his head, and then he was dragged under by the depths of exhaustion, unawareness taking him.

 

*

Duo woke in the not-unfamiliar position of being draped over and tangled up with Wufei, except the bed was bigger and more comfortable than the one at home, and the sun was shining into the room at entirely the wrong angle.  Duo was pressed flush against Wufei’s back, his left arm wedged under the other man’s neck, hand stretched out lazily on the bed with their fingers entwined together.  Catching the glint of matching gold rings, he had the sudden, shuddering realization that they were  _ married _ now. 

 

Wufei was his husband.

 

Holy shit.

 

He stared at those plain gold bands for who knows how long while that little epiphany worked its way through his system.

 

By the time Wufei started to stir, first stretching expansively, then rolling over to snuggle further into Duo’s embrace, euphoria was burning through his system.  Dark brown eyes blinked open sleepily, before he yawned.  “What time do we have to check out?”

 

“We don’t,”  Duo answered,  “we have the room for another night, actually.”

 

Wufei’s eyebrows rose in surprise.  Duo shrugged as much as he was able with his left arm still trapped and lying on his side.  “Quatre,” was all he offered in explanation.

 

Wufei snorted.  “In that case…” he trailed off, scooting himself closer, warm breath on Duo’s neck, mouth tantalizingly close, “good morning, husband.”

 

Duo shivered.  “Good morning, husband,” he breathed back, hand trailing up Wufei’s side suggestively.  They’d gone to bed in shorts they’d barely had the presence of mind to tug on, so there was a wide expanse of smooth skin for him to explore at his leisure.  He stroked fingers up Wufei’s spine, enjoying the arch he got in response, shifting his feet to press their bodies closer together.

 

Wufei tilted his head up, lips trailing along Duo’s neck, his own hand at Duo’s hip, his thumb stroking small circles.  They’d had plenty of practice at this, the familiarity lending a certain intimacy to the moment, any hint of nervousness they might have had buried under warm lust and experienced affection, but the occasion seemed to prompt a kind of reverence that wasn’t often found in their bedroom.

 

Peppering tender kisses across his face and throat, Duo tugged at Wufei’s shorts, dragging his palms over the skin revealed as they were kicked off, lost in the sea of blankets.  Wufei returned the favor, pressing his palm flat against Duo’s lower spine, pulling their bodies together into naked contact, prompting hissed breaths and tiny gasps.  

 

They took their time, hands trailing over familiar territory, touches gradually getting firmer, kisses changing from tender to heated, feet and legs tangled under the blankets, until they were both flushed and breathing heavily.  When Duo felt fingers combing through his hair, unravelling the messy braid, he chuckled against Wufei’s mouth.

 

“It’s gonna get everywhere, you know that right?”

 

“I’ll help you with it later.”

 

Duo grinned, nipping at Wufei’s chin.  “You promise? I’m gonna hold you to it.”

 

Firm lips slanted over his own, tongue dipping in to explore his mouth, as Wufei tugged at the loosened strands of his hair.   Duo moaned.

 

Breathless, Wufei answered him.  “I promise.”  Tugging at his shoulders, he pulled Duo to lean over him, arms braced on the mattress, a curtain of hair falling around both of them, long and faintly creased from the braid.  Wufei reached up to drag a hand through it again, more easily able to get at it now, testing the softness, staring at him with a kind of awe.

 

Duo didn’t often wear his hair down.  It was long, and thick, but he wore it more as a tribute than a fashion statement, it really did get abso-fucking-lutely everywhere, and occasionally it tried to strangle him in his sleep.  But Wufei loved it, and if he wanted him to wear it down, he didn’t have to ask twice.

 

He did have to help him untangle it later though.

 

Leaning forward, he pressed their bodies together, eliciting a soft gasp, and nibbled at Wufei’s neck and shoulders, the other man’s fingers still sifting through his hair.

 

Wufei hummed thoughtfully, rocking up into his body, making Duo shiver.  “Do you think Quatre really did think of everything?”

 

“Hmm?”  Duo was distracted, traversing sharp collar bones and angling his mouth towards dark nipples.

 

“Well, do you think he thoughtfully left anything helpful in the nightstand, or will one of us have to get up and dig through the suitcase?”

 

Duo laughed.  “Well,” his tongue dipped into Wufei’s navel, the other man unable to stop the short thrust he made in response, “Quatre probably didn’t,” he nibbled along the edge of a hip, Wufei flinching in response, “but Trowa might’ve!”

 

The sound Wufei made was a cross between laughter and moaning, and it was supremely sexy, tingles shooting down Duo’s groin in response.  He lifted up in response to Wufei’s gentle shoving, and sat back, straddling Wufei’s thighs, watching avidly as his husband- and his brain tingled in response to that thought!- stretched and rolled, muscle shifting smoothly under tanned skin.  Wufei fumbled around in the nightstand drawer before making a noise of discovery and turning back with a triumphant look on his face. He had condoms and lube in hand.

 

Duo grinned.  “I guess the sex fairy paid us a visit.”

 

Dropping the necessities on the mattress next to them, Wufei sat up, wrapping Duo up in a warm embrace, mouths meeting in a sensual dance.  Duo groaned into the kiss, snapping the band off of Wufei’s hair, burying his hands in the fine strands.  Wufei broke away after a moment, laughing and a bit breathless.  “I guess I’m not the only one with a hair fetish.”

 

“Seemed fair,” Duo responded, pressing his mouth back to Wufei’s, out of patience for the banter, struck by a sudden need to be as physically close to his husband as possible, hands blazing hot trails across his body, rocking his hips as much as the position would allow, rubbing their erections together.  His teeth grazed across a full lower lap, sucking it into his mouth, swiping his tongue to chase behind the gasp he got in response.

 

Wufei stroked his hands down Duo’s arms soothingly, slowing the kiss down, chasing away the overwhelming urgency.

 

He pressed Wufei back down into the bed, kneeling between his legs, reaching back to swipe his hair to one side, letting it hang there, the ends brushing across Wufei as he stretched over him.  Goosebumps erupted across the other man’s skin, nipples pebbling, and Duo bit his lip, tilting his head to sweep the strands across skin turned golden in the morning sunlight.  Wufei shuddered.  Duo dragged his hands down Wufei’s chest to his hips, right hand reaching for the bobbing erection he found there,and squeezed.  Wufei’s hips bucked as his eyes clenched shut, a small sound escaping his throat.

 

Duo drew in a deep, shuddering breath.  He reached for the lube, paused.  Thought about it.

 

“Babe?” his voice was hoarse to his own ears.

 

Wufei opened his eyes, hazy with lust, and looked up at him in question.

 

_ Oh fuck me. _

 

“You-” Duo cleared his throat, tried again.  “Do you- what do you want?”

 

Confused frown crossing his face, he looked pointedly at both of their groins, Duo’s hand still wrapped around his cock.  “It seems pretty obvious to me, Duo.”

 

“I meant, like-” dear  _ god _ , where had this idiotic awkwardness come from?

 

Wufei smiled fondly at him, picking up on the issue.  He tucked his hand behind Duo’s neck, pulling him down for a languid kiss.  When they drifted apart, he said softly, convincingly, “This is  _ fine, _ Duo.  More than fine.” 

 

Duo breathed out, slowly, eyes closed. Relaxing into the moment. 

 

He leaned back again, reaching for the lube.  Trying to get past the feeling that everything had to be perfect.  He felt a little like he was on the edge of some kind of precipice. 

 

Wufei snorted.  “It’s not like we only get one try.  We can have a do-over later, if you want.”

 

And just like that, the anxiety evaporated.  Grinning, flipping the cap on the lube, Duo reached for Wufei’s cock again, the slide a smooth, slick motion this time, and he hissed.  Bent his knee, spread his thighs.  The sight gave Duo a little jolt.  “What if I want more than one do-over?”

 

“Whatever-ah!-” Duo pressed slippery fingers against Wufei’s entrance- “Whatever you want!”

 

They both groaned as he slid a finger past the tight ring of muscle there, stroking Wufei from the inside and outside at the same time. He watched his husband - and god help him if that word ever stopped giving him that shivery feeling - arched into his touch, mouth slack and eyes unfocused.  He slid another finger in with the first, searching-

 

“ **Ah!** Fuck, Duo!”

 

Biting his lip, Duo took his time stretching Wufei, scissoring apart the two fingers already inside of him, making sure he was prepped before adding a third, stroking his cock just enough to keep him on edge.  By the time he was babbling incoherently in probably-Chinese, Duo was ready to explode.  He swiped his cock with lube, carefully resisting the urge to stroke himself, and slid his fingers out of Wufei, who whined in protest.

 

The sound alone made Duo moan.

 

Bracing himself above Wufei again, he looked down at his face, flushed and sweaty, eyes clenched shut, strands of his hair stuck to his cheeks. Leaning down onto his elbows he brushed a kiss across his lips, trailing across to his ear as he pressed his cock into the other man, holding his breath at the impossible heat and tightness. 

 

It was like this every single time, overwhelming and humbling, and he never ceased to be amazed by it.

 

Wufei groaned in lust-filled relief as Duo slid home, blowing his breath out explosively.  “ **Fuck** , babe, oh my god.”  He moved, incrementally, experimentally thrusting.  “You feel so _fucking_ _good_.  Always feel so fucking good.”

 

Hands that had been clenching the sheets came up to tangle in his hair, and Wufei opened his eyes, turned to look at him, pupils wide and blown, panting breathlessly.  He shifted, canting his hips up, forcing Duo a little deeper.  “You too, so good.”  He arched more, wrapping a leg around Duo’s hips, and that was it, Duo was a goner.

 

He was nothing but mindless love and lust, thrusting at first slowly, but picking up speed as soon as Wufei was meeting him movement for movement, the two of them moving in unison. Duo knew he was talking, cursing, babbling, his hips snapping forward over and over and Wufei was encouraging him, his voice low and gravelly, Duo’s hair brushing against them, the strands like live silk. 

 

Orgasm barreling down on him like a freight train, Duo reached, fumbling between them for Wufei’s erection, and the other man cried out. 

 

Duo got in one, two, three short strokes before Wufei was coming with a strangled shout, body clamping down, hands clenching and the combination set Duo off, his hips stuttering out of rhythm as he came, explosively, and he'd meant to keep his eyes open but he forgot and then the world ceased to exist for a handful of heartbeats. 

 

Or maybe a lifetime 

 

Who knew, really. 

 

But when Duo came back to himself, still propped on trembling arms, panting, Wufei was smiling up at him, leg still wrapped around his waist, just as breathless, fingers trailing up and down his spine. 

 

Duo shuddered. 

 

“I need a few more minutes’ recovery if you're trying to get a do over already.”

 

Wufei laughed, though the need for oxygen kept it brief.  He tried to pull Duo down for a kiss, but the need to relax his arms defeated him, and Duo slid out slowly, Wufei drawing in a sharp breath, before flopping over to the side, boneless, landing on top of his own hair. Cursing, he yanked it all out of the way and pushed it up over the edge of the pillow, off of his neck and back. 

 

Wufei scooted closer, pulling him in for a warm, soft kiss, chest vibrating with restrained laughter.  

 

Digging a pair of shorts out of the blankets with his toes, Duo wiped both of them off, dropping the soiled clothing off the edge of the bed, and snuggled into the offered embrace. Wufei reached up to tease out a section of his hair, pulling it down to wrap around his fingers and play with thoughtlessly. 

 

Duo yawned, eyelids drooping.  Wufei’s free hand came up to scratch soothingly at his scalp as he drifted. 

 

A thought came to him. “You're stuck with me now,” he murmured, drawing abstract patterns on bare skin. 

 

“I married you yesterday, in case you've already forgotten,” Wufei teased, capturing the wayward fingers in his hand. 

 

“Yeah, but now you're  _ officially  _ stuck with me.” He paused for dramatic effect, managing to dislodge his fingers again, but resting them on Wufei’s hip, ceasing the previous torment. 

 

Wufei didn't take the bait, waiting silently. 

 

After a minute of only the sound of their breathing Duo lifted his head to look at Wufei, who stared back, eyebrow raised. 

 

Grinning, Duo decided that counted as a question. “Cause now it's  _ consummated,”  _ he chortled in delight. 

 

Wufei rolled his eyes. 

 

Lying back down, Duo amused himself with turning the thought over in his head, thinking about ancient customs and wedding rites. 

 

“You think I oughta hang the sheet out the window to prove it?”

 

“Oh my god, Duo, shut up.”  But he sounded on the verge of laughter. 

 

There was another pause before Duo couldn't resist pushing just a bit more. “You think we gotta do it both ways before it officially counts?”

 

Wufei rolled over him to shut him up in the most effective way he knew how. 

 

Duo sighed contentedly, relaxing into the kiss. 

 

It was gonna be a wild ride, but he couldn't wait to see where it took them. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU AS ALWAYS to ChronicWhimsy for the always-excellent beta skills.
> 
> I also owe her thanks for the bits about academic setting and university stuff in general, and ESPECIALLY FOR all of the Lord Byron stuff because I Learned A Thing. 
> 
> I know that Une’s ‘canon’ first name is Cordelia, but Frozen Teardrop is stupid, so I kept the name I picked for her in Redacted.
> 
> ALRIGHT so, Xiulan – I just started pondering about this girl after I wrote her into earlier works in this ‘verse, and she just... personified in my head as Meilan’s adorably irrepressible younger sister, still a bit of a spitfire, but overall a little more... relaxed. Less Clan expectations forced upon her, that sort of thing. Google says that ‘Meilan’ means ‘beautiful orchid’ so sticking with the theme, I went with Xiulan, which means ‘elegant orchid’. I GOOGLE FU’D THIS, OK SO IF IT’S NOT RIGHT I’m sorry and also please let me know so I don’t look stupid. 
> 
> Johnnie Walker Blue is delicious.
> 
> OK so my local Natural Science Museum really does allow people to rent out the museum for weddings, including the very cool Paleontology hall, and it really does have a human skeleton hanging from the ceiling and overall is an outstanding wedding venue, and it just seemed like something Duo and Wufei would enjoy. Photographic evidence in case you need a visual: https://goo.gl/images/BfNdgV
> 
> Like I mentioned in Paradise, I am now an expert in Best Man speeches HIT ME UP.
> 
> I headcanon Duo as the life of the party who knows all the dances and you can pry that from my cold dead hands.
> 
> Cosmic-Era asked me for Duo with his hair down in-fic, which is a challenge I struggle with, so here we have it folks! I hope it made sense and turned out ok!!! <333


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